this is "world news." tonight crackdown, baseball tells a dozen players you're out for cheating, in effect declaring war on one of its biggest stars. terror alert, abc's martha raddatz with breaking news on the message from al qaeda that led to the worldwide warnings. and sharks swarming the shores, jumping out of the water. our sam champion jumps in to find out why shark attacks are on the rise. a good evening to you on this monday night and tonight america's sport, major league baseball, is making good on a promise to clean up the game. 12 big stars banned for the rest of the season for cheating with drugs. while another one, superstar

alex rodriguez, vows to fight to the bitter end. there he is showing up for the game tonight. abc's matt gutman at his home field, yankee stadium, tonight. matt? >> reporter: it seemed that major league baseball wanted to make an example of its highest paid player, specifically mentioning the types of substances he allegedly abused, including testosterone and human growth hormone. this suspension could cost him $30 million. >> reporter: tonight, despite that suspension, alex rodriguez is still swinging. smacked with what could be a career ending suspension for allegedly using numerous forms of performance-enhancing substances, and for attempting to cover up his violations. he's one of 13 suspended in the biggest bust ever in major league history. the other 12 accepted the league's 50-game suspension, but not a-rod. he got 212 games and he's fighting it. >> i want to express to you guys

and the fans of baseball that the last seven months have been a nightmare. >> his legacy is shot. it was crumbling and today was one more blow. >> there it is, number 600! >> reporter: he had one of the biggest bats and the biggest contract, a quarter of a billion dollars. the same player who once admitted to taking drugs earlier in his career and swore he would never do it again. >> ever since i've been doing the right thing and proud of that. >> reporter: the moment he took the field in 1994 it was clear the lanky 18 yearly would become a star. he had that sweet swing. >> when alex first came up to the big leagues you could tell he was going to be a superstar. >> reporter: he racked up homers faster than anyone in history. >> and it's gone! it's the 400th of his fabulous career! alexander the great. >> reporter: conquering one milestone after another, but

always dogged by controversy. the star so often seen on the pages of tabloids cavorting with starlets. now those same tabloids say just go. physically he never showed the signs of peds. he gradually gained weight over his career unlike some stars whose bodies swelled while allegations of steroid use swirled around them. >> players use for different reasons. not everyone ends up looking like a comic book character. >> reporter: for young fans today, disappointment. >> i think a-rod was a great player and a hero but now he's just nobody. >> reporter: if that suspension does go through, we might not see a-rod play here until the middle of 2015. he'll be 40 years old, but he may still have about $95 million left on his contract. diane? >> this is going to be a big dual in the days ahead and a very public one. we thank you, matt gutman. now we turn to that terror alert we have been tracking throughout the weekend, the one

that shut down american embassies around the globe. we have news tonight about al qaeda and its targets and a possible contact here in the united states. abc's chief foreign affairs correspondent martha raddatz reporting in from washington now. martha? >> reporter: tonight we are learning that the intercepts abc news first reported about a big strategically important attack were communications between al qaeda's main leader after osama bin laden's death and the head of al qaeda in yemen. abc news has also learned tonight why this threat that was emanating from overseas has now caused such alarm in the u.s. tonight, beefed up law enforcement, heightened awareness at airports from l.a. to new york, and more scrutiny on those trying to enter the country. a senior u.s. official tells abc news that the plot started in yemen and tonight u.s. officials are franticly searching for

vehicle bombs al qaeda wants to use to blow up the u.s. embassy there and perhaps others as well. abc news has also learned that through surveillance and electronic eavesdropping more was discovered, including communications between al qaeda affiliates and someone in the u.s., not just electronic conversations but through the mail as well. the u.s. does not know the content of the letters. >> in terrorist communications in general, the simpler, more primitive forms of communication, the more effective they are. >> reporter: this is who al qaeda has been communicating with in yemen. one of those behind the underwear bomb, printer cartridge bombs and surgically implanted explosives, small bombs that could be placed inside a human body, especially dangerous if the bomb carrier boarded a flight. >> this group is fairly ingenious, fairly bold and eager to cause damage.

>> reporter: despite the long war on al qaeda in places such as afghanistan and pakistan, their affiliates are now spread out across the map in yemen, syria, throughout africa as well as iraq and libya where in recent days more than 1,000 of the world's most dangerous prisoners were busted out of jail. >> this is a wake-up call. al qaeda is in many ways stronger than it was before 9/11 because it's mutated and spread and come out of different directions. >> reporter: u.s. officials strongly dispute that today, saying the core al qaeda is decimated, and it's much harder for these splinter groups to strike out globally. a white house spokesman reiterated today that this is a significant and very serious threat. >> how will they know to stand down? how will they know that the alert is over? >> they think this is the critical week and that whatever the exact plans were, al qaeda would have to complete the operation or risk getting caught. >> so this week the key week.

thank you, martha raddatz. terrorism and the whole question "what is terrorism?" will arise tonight in texas as two sides gear up for one of the biggest military trials in decades. major nidal hassan charged with murder for his rampage at fort hood back in 2009. he will be defending himself. abc's chief investigative correspondent brian ross reports that many of those he injured will be there to confront him and also to confront the army for what happened since. >> reporter: for the victims who will be called to testify, the trial means reliving the horror of what happened that day at fort hood, seen in this footage, obtained by abc news, taken moments after the shooting stopped. >> everyone is scrambling. it's chaos. >> a few seconds after he started shooting is when i took a round to the chest. >> reporter: the victims will also face cross-examination by the accused shooter himself, major nidal hassan, who has

opted to serve as his own lawyer in the military trial. but even more upsetting for the victims, and what has led many to file this lawsuit, is the decision by the army to deny the injured and dead soldiers a purple heart, treating the fort hood shooting as not terrorism but simply as workplace violence. recently retired staff sergeant shawn manning, who will testify and still has bullets lodged in his body, says that means lower priority veteran's medical care and a loss of tens of thousands of dollars in benefits. >> basically, they're treating us like i was downtown and i got hit by a car. >> reporter: the accused shooter, a u.s. army major, nadal hassan,identified in this photo by three of the victims allegedly shouted allahu akbar as he shot. >> he had 177 rounds left on his person. >> reporter: the secretary of the army says no victims ever received substandard care. and treating the attack as terrorism could affect the trial of major hassan.

>> to declare that soldier a foreign terrorist would have a potentially profound effect on the ability to conduct the trial. >> brian ross, abc news. now we turn to the summer of extreme weather veering into neutral rain again, flooding over the weekend in kansas and in colorado giant hail storms, so much hail snow plows were back on the streets. abc's meteorologist ginger zee gives us a tour of a raucous weather map. >> reporter: a river of white flowing through the streets of northeast colorado, so much hail they were plowing it into heaps like snow. check out the size, some of it almost three inches wide. while these images are stunning, we really haven't had that much hail compared to other years. look at this. each bar represents the number of hail reports in june, july and august. this year without the rest of august we have had over 2,000, not even close to the nearly

10,000 reports of hail in 2008. the same front that spawned the hail caused deadly flash flooding in kansas, four to seven inches falling in six hours, the water rushing into homes, raging over roadways, five feet deep at times. >> this is bad. this is bad. this is unbelievable. >> reporter: that concern for heavy rain will move to the north and northeast. let me show you exactly who has to be on alert for the next 48 hours. this is how much rain is going to fall. diane, your hometown of louisville there in the bull's eye, more than two inches. and so many folks asking me is summer over? the answer is no, of course not, but we will be below average. this is the climate prediction center's 8 to 14 day forecast, below normal for more than two-thirds of the nation. >> my beloved louisville back in the bull's eye again. thanks ginger. tonight we have word that the law may be closing in on

that arkansas fugitive who made a daring escape. you'll remember the astonishing plan, on the phone with his mother and then diving through a narrow jailhouse window, dashing to the minivan where his girlfriend was waiting. tonight we have learned the bonnie and clyde couple are suspected of stealing a truck and weapons about 360 miles north in missouri and the sheriff believes they may still be in that area. next to a familiar spectacle gone wrong. more than 1,000 people gathered at dawn this weekend to watch explosives take down on old california power plant. they were stopped 1,000 feet back. this time the sightseers found themselves in a kind of war zone. here's abc's linsey davis. >> three, two, one -- >> reporter: at first glance -- [ explosion ] -- the implosion appears to go off as planned. [ explosion ] but watch again, this time in slow motion, and you'll see what some in the crowd of more than a thousand spectators felt. to the left and right, shrapnel

rockets out of the abandoned steam power plant. listen as it hits this chain link fence. the shrapnel rained down on the families gathered to watch the implosion in a so-called "safe zone." 1,000 feet away from the blast. >> kind of like getting hit with a baseball bat below of knee. >> reporter: one man lost his leg and tonight it has some experts questioning why these controlled detonations have become familiar spectator events. we have business news now. late today a sign of our changing world, news that a celebrated newspaper, the "washington post," has been sold to an internet giant, jeff bezos, founder of amazon.com. he bought it with his personal fortune, changing forever the legendary story of the famous family newspaper that broke the watergate story and was immortalized in the movie, "all the president's men." >> i'll keep you in the right

direction if i can but that's all. just follow the money. >> "follow the money" was the phrase in that underground scene. the "washington post" by the way has been losing money as news increasingly goes online. still ahead on "world news," the mystery in the water, what is causing the spike in shark attacks? sam champion dives deep for answers tonight with one of nature's most frightening and hungry predators. and an emotional reunion for a dad who gave up a prized possession for the sake of his family and got back something he never expected. it's america strong. cted. it's america strong. for all kinds of reasons. i go to angie's list to gauge whether or not the projects will be done in a timely fashion and within budget. angie's list members can tell you which provider is the best in town. you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare. now that we're expecting, i like the fact

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getting your vegetables every day? when i can. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. two full servings of vegetables for only 50 delicious calories. now word tonight that right now in the height of summer there are more sharks near more beaches on the coast of the united states and a growing number of shark attacks. abc's weather editor sam champion decided to suit up and go in search of the reason why. >> reporter: shark attacks on humans have risen to an all-time high. last year there were 53 attacks in the u.s. alone, and worldwide there were 80 unprovoked attacks. here in the bahamas the team of experts from discovery channel's, "sharkpocalypse" is researching the rise in shark attacks as part of shark week.

>> shark on the right. >> that thing came out of nowhere. >> reporter: in some places, like off the coast of cape cod, the protected population of seals have brought sharks closer to shore. discovery has been there, tracking this shark, named large marge, with new shark cam technology. the experts say the real reason for the increase is something we're doing right. after years of population decline conservation is bringing some species back. and there may be two other theories. first, sharks moving closer to shore to find their natural food supply and, second, people are spending more recreational time in the water. our boat was soon surrounded by caribbean reef sharks, all looking for a meal. >> i still can't count how many there are. >> reporter: caribbean reef sharks have been known to become aggressive while they're feeding and they've attacked humans before. >> look down, shark on your right!

>> reporter: the experience was incredible. not all shark species are the frightening killers i expected. keep in mind it is 75 times more likely that you will be struck by lightning than killed by a shark. >> what do you think of your first shark dive? >> i think it won't be my last. sam champion, abc news, bahamas. still ahead, something else amazing, all of a sudden a pasture just disappears. what happened? we pursue a deep mystery. why does it suddenly look like the grand canyon right in his field? years ago, my doctor told me to take a centrum silver multivitamin every day. i told him, sure. can't hurt, right? and now today, i see this in the news. once again, centrum silver was chosen by researchers for another landmark study. this time looking at eye health. my doctor! he knows his stuff. [ male announcer ] centrum.

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because zyrtec® starts working at hour one on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour three. zyrtec®. love the air. index" tonight, a kind of canyon opening up in kansas? you heard it right. a rancher in kansas went up to see his pasture and found a hole instead, 90 feet deep and about the size of a football field. it's a mystery, a giant sink hole that isn't near an oil field or a broken water main. his cattle are all right but the rancher says the sink hole is growing, and he can't keep the tourists away. for the first time in history we will tell you about a new kind of hamburger and here it is. what's different? well, it costs $330,000 and takes years to make because it was created in a laboratory grown in a dish from the cells of a cow, not a cow itself. scientists hoping some day living cattle won't be needed.

today two food reviewers tasted it, saying it was a little dry, causing us to think of this lady, remember? >> where's the beef? >> where is that beef. for one 4-year-old what's it like to go to work with daddy? well, getting to watch him play golf. tiger woods won at the bridgestone yesterday matching a pga record for winning the same tournament and shattering another barrier. it's on his comeback trail. turns out his 4-year-old son charlie had never seen dad play and win. woods said this day, this winning, was a kind of special trophy for both of them. and when we come back, how do you thank a dad who gave up a lot for you? the surprise of a lifetime next. it's america strong.

it's the most powerful thing on the planet. love holds us in the beginning. comforts us as we grow old. love is the reason you care. for all the things in your life... that make life worth living. ♪ ♪ sweet love of mine ♪ hands, for holding. ♪ feet, kicking. better things than the joint pain and swelling of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. if you're trying to manage your ra, now may be the time to ask about xeljanz. xeljanz (tofacitinib) is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz is an ra medicine

that can enter cells and disrupt jak pathways, thought to play a role in the inflammation that comes with ra. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers have happened in patients taking xeljanz. don't start taking xeljanz if you have any kind of infection, unless ok with your doctor. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your doctor should perform blood tests, including certain liver tests before you start, and while you are taking xeljanz. tell your doctor if you have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common, and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, and if you are pregnant, or plan to be. taken twice daily, xeljanz can reduce the joint pain and swelling of moderate to severe ra, even without methotrexate. ask if xeljanz is right for you.

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decided to give something back. it's a story from america's heartland, brazil, indiana, and it begins with a teenager and that first car which is never just a car but a symbol of limitless future on the open road. >> reporter: 40 years ago the beach boys ruled the radio, and a 16-year-old named rick lookebill saved money from mowing lawns to buy the car of his dreams, a bright green ford mustang. he took it on a first date with a girl named judy. >> we went to the linton drive-in and saw the movie "king kong." after we started dating a while, i took the console out so we could sit close together in it. >> reporter: when he married judy, the car was there. and for his sons. then the hard times came. his gas station went under. he started working two jobs, day and night to support his family. and he had to sell the car that was his youth, his heart. >> it was awful, but most

important thing in my life is my family. >> reporter: all he had left was a key kept on his dresser with a message, i love my ford. and for 20 years, his four children loved him for that sacrifice. >> we didn't have a lot, but he made sure that what we wanted we had. >> always wanted to do something for our father. >> reporter: against the odds, the kids searched together. an old warranty card led to the vin number which led to ebay and then a collector who still had the bright green mustang. and he let them send a truck to florida to bring dad a surprise. on the big day, in the kitchen, dad is there and the kids pretend to be shocked and worried about something outside the window. >> what's the matter? >> reporter: with their father trying to compute what's happening, there is a rumble. [ engine revving ] >> reporter: the voice of an old friend. a 55-year-old former teenager wipes away tears and steps inside a memory made new again

by the love of family who gave dad back youth and time and something unknown right around the bend. ♪ and she purrs like a kitten >> he's out there somewhere tonight i hope. we thank you for watching. we're always there at abcnews.com. "nightline" later and i'll see you right back here again tomorrow night. good night. good night. tonight the new threat of a transit strike certain to spoil a commute. >> bart trains are running but talks are on hold. what happens next now that a walk out has been averted. >> i'm nannette miranda at the sacramento river. a report shows governor

brown's plan to send this water down to the central valley will be a boon for the state but environmentalists aren't buying it. >> and facebook's mark zuckerberg with a personal appearance for immigration reforms. >> bart is running normally but there is a new transit strike on the horizon that could wreak havoc for thousands of commuters. >> tonight the union representing ac transit is threatening to strike wednesday if demands are not met. we're live at the terminal with the story tonight. commuters and cross hairs with this threat as well. >> yes. ac transit shock asked surprise they had plan to strike on wednesday even if

wrk workers have walked out. so, the transit nightmares continue. >> i will have to probably start my commute at 4:00 in the morning and figure out how much it will cost me to park here. >> joanne is already trying to figure out how to cope with 1800 drivers and workers strike on wednesday. the threat left sheri almost speechless. they're just two of the 181,000 riders who depend on a sfts, daily n oakland, local 192 president delivered a formal strike notice tou(mtx commissioners at headquarters she says the strike notice would have gone out even if the governor had not stopped workers from walking out. >> we did not make the decision lightly. it's a difficult decision to make. >> williams says the union and management are close but two